Shingle gage and clamp.



' PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

REED.-

GE AND CLAMP.

LED SEP'LB. 1905.

SHINGLE GA APPLICATION UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

SHINGLE GAGE AND CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Appli ti n filed September 8, 1905. Serial No. 277,577.

To all whom, it natty concern.-

Be it known that I, GABRIEL REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Bragg, in the county of Mendocino and State of California, have invented new and useful Immovements in Shingle Gages and Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a gage and clamp bracket to support a straight-edge in laying shingles and work of a like character.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and the combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure represented is a perspective view of my shingle gage and clamp.

As shown in the drawing, my bracket is made of a single piece of heavy flat spring-v steel bent substantially U shape and reduced sufiiciently in thickness, if necessary, at the bend of the U to provide the required resiliency. One arm of the U, as at 2, is made straight and is prolonged and tapered at the end, so as to be shoved a suitable distance up underneath the butt of a shingle'in a course which has already been laid and nailed down. The end of the opposite arm 3, which is to form the bracket proper, is bent first upwardly and outwardly at right angles, as at 4, and then folded over and laid flat against the part i, as. shown at 5, the part 5 standing approximately at right angles to the arm 2 and being provided with the teeth or serrations 6 on its lower edge. The arm 3, which carries the part 5, is shorter than the arm 2, so that the part 5 may cooperate with arm 2 as a clamp to grip a shingle between them. A bolt or threaded projection 7 is permanently secured to arm 2 and extends up through a perforation in the opposite arm 3 and carries a wing-nut 8. Normally with the nut 8 loosened the jaw member 5 is separated from member 2 by the natural springiness of the clamp just suflicient to allow a shingle or other thingto be clamped to be slipped between the two members. Screwing up on the nut tends to move the vertical jaw 5 toward member 2 and tightly grip whatever is placed between them. The member 5, lying at right angles to the two arms and overlapping arm 3, as it does, and projecting far enough out from member 2, affords a substantial stop for a straight-edge or anything else that such a bracket might be intended or used to support.

The device is exceedingly simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, practicable, and has nothing to wear out or to get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Agage and bracket made of asingle piece of spring metal bent to provide two arms capable of a limited movement toward and from each other, one arm made flat and straight and provided with a clamping-screw, the other perforated to receive said clamping-screw, a nut to fit said screw, said other arm having its end bent abruptly and substantially at right angles to the first-named arm, said bent end serrated and cooperating with said first-named arm as a clamp.

2. A gage and bracket made of a single piece of springmetal bent to provide two arms capable of a limited movement toward and from each other, one arm made flat and straight and adapted to be inserted beneath a shingle, the other arm having its end bent first outwardly from the first-named arm and then bent inwardly and abruptly and approximately at right angles to the first-named arm, and said inwardly-bent end extending across the end of the second-named arm and serrated and forming a jaw member to grip the upper side of the shingle, and means to compress the arms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

hi GABRIEL 3 REED. 7 mark Witnesses:

DAVID BRANDON, GEORGE Swrrzns. 

